When I was working in the Sawa Erma area, Esmapan was one of the stations in my work area. The distance is quite far, almost 40 km from the community center. It takes a long time to travel to Esmapan by motorboat with 15 hp, especially when the water level of the river is low during the dry season.

Unlike other villages in the Asmat region, Esmapan is far from the influence of modernization. The people here still often hold traditional celebrations, preserving the traditions of their ancestors. The Esmapan are part of the Dafar Pi sub-tribe, along with the Weo, Yakapis and Eroko.

Forests in the Esmapan region are abundant and provide their livelihood as a hunter-gatherer community. In the early 2000s, many Esmapan became sympathetic to the Free Papua Organization. In the midst of their relatively sheltered lives, they yearned for change. Over time, sympathizers returned to their traditional lives of hunting, gathering, and performing traditional rituals.

For the Asmat, maintaining balance with the spirit world, nature, and each other is the most important part of their lives. Traditional celebrations are an expression of maintaining a balanced order in their cosmos. I feel this simple but philosophical life every time I visit this place. Abundant prey, typical jokes that only they understand, and conversations about naughty husbands and beautiful wives always color their lives.

Small, stocky children often invited me to play, carrying containers full of turtle eggs or grilled crocodile meat, the smell of which was very tempting. Sometimes I feel sad to see so many protected animals being consumed. However, the sadness became unimportant when one of them said, “Since our ancestors lived thousands of years ago until now, these animals have never run out. And our ancestors have guaranteed and provided them for me and my children and grandchildren.”

The beauty of the dense forest, the soothing sounds of nature, and the sincere smiles of the people of Esmapan make every trip there a rewarding experience. In the midst of conflict and strife, their spirit to maintain their culture and traditions remains unwavering. The life of the Esmapan people is a unique real world, as if no matter what happens in other parts of the world, they continue to maintain a balance with nature and their ancestral heritage.